FX Chairman Comments On 'Sons Of Anarchy' Creator Kurt Sutter Being Fired By The Network

Clark Sparky

Kurt Sutter was fired from FX as the show-runner for the "Sons of Anarchy" spinoff "Mayans MC" last year, and it sparked a lot of controversy. Sutter himself has been outspoken about the situation, and now the chairman of the network has finally commented on it.

At the 2020 Television Critics Association conference, FX chairman John Landgraf said simply, "We fulfilled our contract, he fulfilled his contract, we moved on."

Sutter was fired in October, and he sent a memo to the cast and crew of "Mayans" shortly after it happened.

"Dear Team Mayans, Apparently, Disney HR and Business Affairs has conducted an investigation into the unacceptable conditions that have been created on the set of Mayans in season 2. As you know, I’ve removed myself quite a bit this season, allowing others to take a bigger role in producing the show," he wrote.

"This morning I was fired by Dana Walden and John Landgraf for all the complaints levied against me. Not the way I wanted to end my 18 year relationship with FX. At least being fired for being an abrasive dick is on brand," he continued. "I deeply apologize if I’ve made people feel less than or unsupported. My intention was literally the opposite. But clearly I’ve not been paying attention. My arrogance and chronic distraction has created wreckage. Just know, I adore this cast and crew."

Last month, Sutter spoke to Deadline about a specific joke in a script that he thinks led to his firing.

"Here’s what I did wrong on the studio network side, the reason why I had to go away. It all started with a joke. And not a very good one. There was a line in the Season 2 premiere. EZ [JD Pardo] and Coco [Richard Cabral] were getting off the bus at the school where the drugs were being processed. There was supposed to be a really gnarly playground out front. Filled with debris, dangerous looking swings, sharp objects, rusty jungle gym, etc. As they exited, Coco sees EZ’s distracted and says: 'Lighten up Boy Scout,' and gesturing to the playground, says, 'We’re going to Disneyland.' EZ replies: 'Yeah? Guess this is where Walt buried all the Jews he had killed.' Coco comments: 'That’s dark man…' And exits."

Sutter continued: "Although the joke came out of character and in any other environment, would have been typical of my brand of dark humor, I’m not an idiot. I knew it would ring some bells. Whether real or imagined, I was already experiencing the tightening of the noose. It was manifesting in production issues, creating more hurdles, etc. I’ve learned over the years through trial and error – a lot of error – how to push back to protect story from corporate conformity."